What's in a Name: Using God's Name Rightly

Devotional

Day 1: The Weight of a Name: From Adam to Abraham

Names in Scripture were not random labels but divine signposts pointing to identity and purpose. Adam’s name echoed his origin from the earth. Abraham’s new name declared his destiny as a father of nations. These names carried God’s authority, shaping lives and legacies. Just as Jacob’s name revealed his struggle, our names are tethered to God’s story. To bear a name is to carry a calling. [32:28]

The Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens out of the ground and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. (Genesis 2:19, ESV)

Reflection: What false labels or identities have you accepted that clash with the name God has given you? How might embracing your God-given purpose reshape your daily choices?

Day 2: When Lips Curse What Heaven Calls Holy

Cursing, swearing, or lying with God’s name fractures the bridge between heaven and earth. Such words drain holiness into the gutter, trading worship for waste. Yet even a careless word about God betrays His worth. James warns that blessing and cursing cannot flow from the same spring. To misuse His name is to deny His nearness. [37:01]

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? (James 3:10–11, ESV)

Reflection: When has your speech about God—casual or intentional—diminished His holiness? How can silence or praise reclaim space for reverence?

Day 3: The Father Who Bears the Name

Earthly fathers wear a name meant to mirror God’s heart: justice wrapped in grace, discipline softened by compassion. A father’s highest calling is to imprint eternity on his children, teaching them the Name above all names. When fathers fail, the Father remains—steady, forgiving, near. [46:42]

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen God’s fatherhood heal or redefine your understanding of authority? How can you extend that healing to others?

Day 4: The Name That Forgives Rebellion and Sin

God’s name is not a weapon but a rescue. He defines Himself as “compassionate, gracious, slow to anger”—a God who forgives rebellion. While we misuse His name, He stitches it to mercy. Jesus wore this name perfectly, turning curses into blessings on the cross. [42:23]

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exodus 34:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: When has God’s forgiveness disarmed your shame? How might His mercy free you to speak His name with bold love?

Day 5: Called Christian: A New Name in Baptism’s Water

Baptism drowns old identities and resurrects a new name: Christian. This name marks you as God’s own, sealed by His promise. Like a father claiming his child, God inscribes His name on your heart. To bear “Christian” is to carry His presence into every moment. [46:17]

For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:26–27, ESV)

Reflection: What habits or lies make you forget the power of your baptized name? How can you “put on Christ” today in a tangible way?

Sermon Summary

God’s name is never just a sound or a set of letters. Names carry what is known about a person, and in biblical times a name often carried the shape of the person’s life. Adam came from the ground. Eve would be the mother of all the living. Abram became Abraham because God would make him the father of many nations. Jacob, the heel grabber, lived like a deceiver.

God’s name carries everything God has revealed about himself. God reveals his name not to satisfy curiosity, but to save, bless, and give his people confidence to call on him. The second commandment warns that God’s name must not be taken up “in nothingness,” in falsehood, or in evil. The commandment says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,” because God will not treat his holy name as a light thing.

The misuse of God’s name takes several forms. Cursing uses language to wish evil and has no place on the lips of God’s people. Swearing by God’s name in casual speech tries to give human words a weight they should not claim. Lying by God’s name happens when someone pretends to speak for God but says what God has not said. Deceiving by God’s name happens when a Christian appearance hides a heart that is not walking in truth. Witchcraft, psychics, mediums, tarot cards, and even good luck charms look to created things for power that belongs only to God.

The second commandment also exposes the failure to use God’s name rightly. God’s people have not always called on him in trouble, prayed to him at all times, praised him when blessing came, or thanked him by taking time to think about his goodness. God does not direct sinners back into themselves to fix their lost condition. God directs sinners to his own name: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Christ reveals and fulfills that name. Christ used God’s name perfectly, totally, completely, in the place of those who have failed. Christ also bore the punishment for every sinful word and every misuse of the tongue, so that forgiveness is complete. God has put his name on his people in baptism, feeds them with Christ’s body and blood in the Supper, and gives them a new name: Christian.

The name Father also carries weight. Earthly fathers are called to represent the heavenly Father with justice, discipline, grace, compassion, forgiveness, and love. Fatherhood bears a serious spiritual influence, especially in bringing children up in the training and instruction of the Lord. God’s saving name remains the name by which his people call, pray, praise, and give thanks.

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Key Takeaways

1. God’s name reveals God’s heart God’s name is not merely a title. God gives his name so his people may know his compassion, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness. The holy name is a saving revelation, not an empty religious label. [42:23]
2. Empty speech treats God lightly The second commandment reaches deeper than avoiding a few bad phrases. God forbids taking up his name in nothingness, falsehood, or evil because his name carries his own honor. Careless speech shows whether the tongue fears God or simply follows the air of the world. [36:13]
3. False religion lies by God’s name God’s name is misused when a person claims to speak for him while saying what he has not said. False teaching is not just mistaken information, it borrows divine authority for human invention. A Christian appearance can also deceive when the life tells a different story than the name being worn. [39:04]
4. Christ kept the name perfectly Christ did not merely teach the right use of God’s name. Christ used it perfectly in the place of sinners and then took the punishment for every sinful word. Forgiveness rests on his completed obedience, not on a cleaned-up vocabulary. [43:14]
5. Christian is a given name God puts his name on his people and calls them his own. Baptism, the Supper, forgiveness, and sonship all say the same thing: “You’re mine.” The name Christian is not self-invented identity, but a name received from the God who saves.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:09] - What Is in a Name?
[32:09] - Biblical Names Carry Meaning
[34:13] - Names Bring a Person to Mind
[35:39] - God Reveals His Name to Save
[36:13] - The Second Commandment Warning
[37:01] - Cursing and Careless Speech
[38:49] - Lying by God’s Name
[40:44] - Occult Power and False Trust
[41:19] - Failing to Use God’s Name Rightly
[42:23] - The Lord Defines His Name
[43:14] - Christ Uses God’s Name Perfectly
[43:59] - Calling, Praying, Praising, Thanking
[45:38] - God Puts His Name on His People
[46:17] - Fathers Bear a Holy Name

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Exodus 20:7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” [36:13]

Exodus 34:6-7
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.’” [42:23]

James 3:10
“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” [37:59]

Observation questions

In Exodus 20:7, what warning is attached to misusing God’s name, and how was “in vain” explained in terms of nothingness, falsehood, and evil? [36:13]
What examples were given of misusing God’s name, both in speech and in false sources of spiritual help?
In Exodus 34:6-7, what words does God use to describe his own name and character? [42:23]
James 3:10 says blessing and cursing can come from the same mouth. What specific kinds of speech were identified as unfitting for God’s people? [37:01]

Interpretation questions

If God’s name carries everything he has revealed about himself, how does that deepen the meaning of the second commandment beyond simply avoiding a few forbidden words? [35:15]
God reveals his name so that people may call on him, trust him, and be saved. How does that shape the way a Christian should hear the command not to misuse his name? [35:39]
God describes himself as merciful, gracious, patient, loving, faithful, and forgiving. How does that self-description help a guilty sinner draw near to him instead of running from him? [42:23]
Christ used God’s name perfectly and also bore the guilt of sinful words. Why is that important for someone who feels convicted not only by what has been said, but also by failure to pray, praise, and give thanks? [43:14]

Application questions

When careless speech shows up in daily life, it usually comes out in certain settings first. Where is the struggle strongest right now—at home, at work, online, while driving, or with certain friends—and what does that reveal about the heart? [37:40]
God’s name is given so that his people may call on him in trouble. When trouble hits, what is the first instinct: prayer, panic, anger, silence, or self-reliance? What might it look like to call on the Lord sooner and more simply this week? [43:59]
God’s people are not only warned against wrong speech; they are also called to pray, praise, and give thanks. Which of those has been most neglected lately, and what small change could help make it more regular? [44:18]
Looking to psychics, charms, superstition, or created things for power is a false trust. Are there more respectable versions of that same habit—control, routines, money, personality, influence, or constant planning—that can quietly take God’s place? [40:44]
God has put his name on his people and called them Christian. How might remembering “You’re mine” change the way someone speaks, repents, and asks for help this week? [46:10]
When blessing comes, praise often gets delayed or lost. What good gift in the past week most clearly calls for “God be praised,” and why is it important to say that out loud? [44:44]
The name Father carries responsibility for justice, compassion, discipline, forgiveness, and spiritual guidance. For fathers, grandfathers, and father figures, where is encouragement needed right now? For others in the group, how can that calling be supported with prayer and practical care? [46:26]

Sermon Clips

76s

“``This is who this is what God wants us to think of when we think about his name. He wants us to think about what he is and and who he is and what he's done for us. He's the gracious, compassionate, faithful God who, in his love for us, planned out our salvation from eternity, carried it out in time by sending his own son to willingly be and do everything in our place, the one who came and you always used God's name correctly, 100%, perfectly, totally, completely, never once misused God's name, always used his name correctly for you, for me, in our place. So that he could do it perfectly for us who failed to. And not only that, but he came to demonstrate God's love by pay taking all the times we've used our our tongue and for ways that we shouldn't to take that punishment on the cross, to forgive us completely, to rescue and save us so that we could be his, and so that we could use his name correctly.”

70s

“And and so how do you know? How do you thank God? It's by thinking. You know, taking time to think. The ways that God has blessed us and not just physically. He's blessed us in enormous ways physically, but even more importantly, spiritually. The things that God has done for us. The peace we have in him, the forgiveness of sins he's given to us. He's given to us his the sacrament of baptism where he brought us into his family and washed our sins away and and gave us proof that he loves us and that we are heirs of eternal life. He's he's given us his supper in which he gives us his own body and blood together with bread and wine for what? For the forgiveness of our sins so that he can he can give us himself, in effect, putting also his name on us, in us. You're mine. You're mine. It's who you are. He's put his name on you. He's given you a new name, Christian. That's who you are, his child.”

49s

“This is who this is what God wants us to think of when we think about his name. He wants us to think about what he is and and who he is and what he's done for us. He's the gracious, compassionate, faithful God who, in his love for us, planned out our salvation from eternity, carried it out in time by sending his own son to willingly be and do everything in our place, the one who came and you always used God's name correctly, 100%, perfectly, totally, completely, never once misused God's name, always used his name correctly for you, for me, in our place.”

54s

“The things that God has done for us. The peace we have in him, the forgiveness of sins he's given to us. He's given to us his the sacrament of baptism where he brought us into his family and washed our sins away and and gave us proof that he loves us and that we are heirs of eternal life. He's he's given us his supper in which he gives us his own body and blood together with bread and wine for what? For the forgiveness of our sins so that he can he can give us himself, in effect, putting also his name on us, in us. You're mine. You're mine. It's who you are. He's put his name on you. He's given you a new name, Christian. That's who you are, his child.”

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What's in a Name: Using God's Name Rightly

Devotional

Day 1: The Weight of a Name: From Adam to Abraham

Day 2: When Lips Curse What Heaven Calls Holy

Day 3: The Father Who Bears the Name

Day 4: The Name That Forgives Rebellion and Sin

Day 5: Called Christian: A New Name in Baptism’s Water

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

What's in a Name: Using God's Name Rightly

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